Tennessee Football: 7 Volunteers Who Could Surprise People This Spring

Everybody knows the Tennessee football team's stars—guys such as quarterback Joshua Dobbs, running backs Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara, outside linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, defensive end Derek Barnett and cornerback Cameron Sutton.

But which Vols will take a leap forward when spring practice starts Monday?

You can't make a serious run at anything significant if you're only top-heavy on talent. The really good teams have depth. They have youngsters who emerge each year to replace the upperclassmen, and juniors and seniors who come from nowhere to fill major roles.

Tennessee is going to need all those guys in 2016. 

A year ago, players such as Alvin Kamara, Rashaan Gaulden, Shy Tuttle and Coleman Thomas took major leaps and turned in quality springs. All of those but Gaulden, who was lost for the year with a preseason injury, parlayed those spring performances into key contributor roles in an upstart 9-4 season. 

This year, the Vols won't have to call on as many relative unknowns with starters returning virtually all over the field. Only four teams in the nation return more starters (17) than the Vols, according to Phil Steele.

But playing time remains there for the taking.

With several injuries looming for UT this spring like last season, and with a new defensive coordinator in Bob Shoop and a new tight ends coach in Larry Scott, first impressions will be vital.

The strides made by multiple players in the next month-and-a-half could go a long way toward determining just how serious Tennessee's title run could be when the Vols start things up for real in September.

Let's take a look at some likely candidates who will have ample opportunity to turn coaches' and fans' heads this spring.

Jason Croom, Redshirt Senior Tight End

RICHARD SHIRO/Associated Press

The frustrations mounted last year for junior Jason Croom as injuries robbed him of yet another season on Rocky Top. It's a familiar refrain for the Norcross, Georgia, native who's spent as much time in the training room during his career as on the field.

But those flashes Croom showed on the field have plenty of folks excited, and he's healthy and ready to go for 2016.

The most exciting thing? The 6'5", 246-pound target will be trying out a new position this spring—tight end—and with the Vols appearing to make a movement toward faster, more yards-after-catch-oriented receivers, the move could pay huge dividends for both UT and Croom.

He's always had the body to play the position. Now, Vols fans everywhere should have dreams of the rangy, athletic playmaker turning into a mismatch for linebackers in the seam and becoming a major weapon. Scott told GoVols247's Wes Rucker recently:

"

I think as kids grow up and mature and understand things, and they see the evolution of where the game is really going with that position. You look around the NFL now, those are the guys that are being drafted at higher percentages and higher rounds and things like that, so I think as the game continues to evolve and as kids continue to mature and grow up and see where their natural fits are really gonna be, those things kind of come together.

"

A positive for Croom is the pressure really won't be that great right away.

Rising junior Ethan Wolf has been the clear-cut starter ever since getting on the field as a true freshman. But with Alex Ellis out of eligibility and Jakob Johnson and Neiko Creamer unproven, Croom has a chance for playing time.

He has the leadership skills and ability to take advantage of the opportunity. If he has a strong offseason in the weight room and blows up this spring, it's not out of the realm of possibility to see him having a similar impact as Alabama's O.J. Howard had in '15.

Croom has that ability.

With all the injuries he's suffered, it's also possible this won't be Croom's last year in Knoxville. He appears to be a strong case for application to the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility if it comes to that. If that happens, he'll have even more time to hone skills at his new position.

A skill set like his could lend itself to an NFL career. But all that starts this spring, where Croom has to prove he can thrive at a new position and, most of all, stay healthy.

Jeff George, Junior Wide Receiver

Credit: 247Sports

The sixth-rated JUCO wide receiver in the 2016 class didn't commit to Tennessee with much fanfare, but 3-star prospect Jeff George has a golden opportunity to play a key role in orange and white.

With Marquez North gone to the NFL and Croom switching positions, the Vols don't have any big-bodied, high-rising receivers other than Preston Williams. At 6'6", 190 pounds, George could fill that role.

He desperately needs to add some pounds and strength in the weight room, but George has sneaky athleticism and hip fluidity for an athlete his size. 

The Leavenworth, Kansas, native played his first two collegiate seasons at Dodge City Community College, and he broke out with a big career the past two seasons. In '15, he had 49 catches for 685 yards and five touchdowns on the heels of a 46-catch, 690-yard redshirt freshman performance.

Prior to his time at Dodge City, he redshirted at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, so George is mature, having already been in a college system for three years.

Of course, those programs are nothing like SEC football, but there's a reason why a lot of teams wanted him. For instance, Auburn was one of the programs to offer him and tried to convince him to flip from the Vols, but he wound up in Knoxville.

The Vols are glad he's theirs.

With North, Von Pearson and Johnathon Johnson gone, there's playing time available, especially considering how poor the Vols receivers have been the past three seasons.

George needs to come up big for UT this year. With his size and leaping ability, he can be a red-zone weapon for Dobbs at the very least. 

You don't recruit JUCO players to stand on the sideline, so George will be expected to contribute right away.

John Kelly, Sophomore Running Back

Wade Payne/Associated Press

There's a small chance that sophomore running back John Kelly will make a huge impact in 2016, barring an injury to Hurd or Kamara.

That's precisely the reason why he should have a monster spring.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones already knows what his two marquee running backs can do. There's a reason why ESPN.com's David Ching declared UT's runners the team's strongest position.

Because of the success of Hurd and Kamara last year, there's little reason for the Vols to give them any significant repetitions or much live action this spring. If you mess around and get one of them hurt, it spells bad news for the offense in September.

So expect Kelly to get a large load this spring. It's a great opportunity to see what the 5'9", 212-pound sophomore can do when he's given the chance to have an extended look behind the first- and second-team offensive lines.

In mop-up action as a freshman, the Detroit native looked good, gaining 165 yards and averaging 4.1 yards per carry. But he didn't do anything spectacular just getting direct handoffs and running straight at the line. He did prove he wasn't scared to mix it up.

But can he be the bell cow with Hurd and Kamara expected to forgo their senior seasons after '16? That's a question that hasn't been answered yet. 

Regardless of what happens, the Vols are going to go hard after two or three running backs in the 2017 recruiting class, but Kelly will be given the opportunity to be RB1 if he impresses. 

This spring, he'll have the chance to shine. Last year, Kamara proved how dynamic he could be with Hurd a little banged-up, and that led to key snaps in the spring. Kelly's may be delayed a year, but these next few weeks are very important to his future and the Vols'.

Brett Kendrick, Redshirt Junior Offensive Tackle

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A season ago, Brett Kendrick started the Vols' first five games of the season before a knee injury sidelined him for much of the remainder of the year.

Though he was expected to miss the season, the 6'6", 318-pound former Christian Academy of Knoxville standout returned in a reserve role for two games. 

Kendrick's injury opened a door that freshman Chance Hall burst through, helping Tennessee outrush Georgia and Alabama in the first two games in which he saw significant action. Throughout the remainder of the season, the Roanoke, Virginia, native looked like a future star.

So, while unseating Hall may prove difficult, Kendrick has a big chance this spring. Hall won't be available for the next couple of months, which will give Kendrick a chance to win back the right tackle job he once held.

Even if Hall returns and wins the job, a starting spot is still up for grabs. Redshirt freshman Drew Richmond will also get an opportunity to seize the all-important left tackle role this spring, and though he was a top-notch prospect, he hasn't proved he can cut it in the SEC yet.

If Kendrick impresses, he could be an option to start at one of the tackle spots with Hall.

Regardless of whether or not he starts in 2016, you always need more than two healthy tackles, and Kendrick should be third on that list. He is experienced and has started at points in each of his past two seasons. At times, he's looked really good, too.

Now that Kendrick is entering his fourth year in the system, he will be big, strong and physical. Though he wasn't one of those prospects who immediately got key snaps, Kendrick could follow in the footsteps of a fellow Knoxville native, Kyler Kerbyson, in playing a huge role as an upperclassman.

He's experienced, and he's a bit of a forgotten man. Don't be surprised if the offensive line doesn't miss a beat this spring with him inserted in Hall's spot.

Marquill Osborne, Freshman Defensive Back

Credit: 247Sports

When prospects commit to schools early in the process, it's easy for them to not get the hype and headlines, no matter how good they are.

That's the case with former Under Armour All-American Marquill Osborne.

The 5'11", 183-pound cornerback from Cornelius, North Carolina, was Tennessee's first commitment of the '16 class, pledging all the way back in the fall of 2014. While some of the nation's elite programs such as Ohio State and Clemson came calling, he stayed true to his word.

Sure, Nigel Warrior and Tyler Byrd got a ton of the late buzz because the Vols got them to sign in the 11th hour, but that doesn't diminish the kind of prospect Osborne is. Considering he gets a head start on those two as a midterm enrollee, it wouldn't be a stretch to see Osborne as the more college-ready player come fall.

Osborne is long, rangy and athletic. Breaking into a loaded Vols secondary that includes players such as Sutton, Gaulden, Todd Kelly Jr., Justin Martin, Emmanuel Moseley, Evan Berry, Malik Foreman and others won't be easy. But Osborne has the ability. 

He may already be one of the four or five most talented defensive backs on the entire roster. 

Secondary coach Willie Martinez loves tall, physical corners who can play press-man coverage and still have the athleticism to close gaps in zone coverage. But an underrated aspect of the traits Martinez loves is great tackling ability.

Osborne looks like he can do it all on film. While he could play on the boundary at cornerback, it also wouldn't be surprising if he pressured Foreman at the nickelback role.

He may not wind up surprising enough to unseat any starter, but a lot of folks forgot about Osborne's ability. It may be surprising to some just how good he's going to be—and maybe soon.

Vincent Perry, Redshirt Freshman Wide Receiver

Credit: 247Sports

Tennessee was desperately lacking a receiver the past couple of seasons who could take a ball in a soft spot of zone coverage, make a move and zip down the field for a huge gain.

Pearson did it a little bit the few times he got loose, but a high ankle sprain during 2014 and trying to get acclimated last year after missing so much practice time because of a suspension kept him from living up to expectations. Kamara played the role more than anybody as a running back.

But one guy who has the chance to wow everybody this spring is Vincent Perry.

He's got the speed, fluidity and ability to come off a freshman year where he redshirted and immediately make an impact in 2016.

GoVols247's Rucker wrote: "Pearson's start-and-stop ability in tight spaces helped the Vols move the chains and make plays in some critical spots, but the staff is high on redshirt freshman Vincent Perry, a 5'10", 175-pound Nashville native who is very quick and smooth and seems capable of developing into a nice playmaker."

A couple of recruiting cycles ago, the Vols made trip after trip to Hillsboro High School, trying to lure Kyle Phillips to Knoxville, a battle they eventually won for one of the most coveted defensive ends in the nation.

But Phillips' close friend and high school teammate wound up getting an offer, too. Perry's ability to turn short passes into long gains is intriguing in UT's short passing game, especially given Dobbs' struggles to stretch the field with his arm.

The inability to get yards after the catch shouldn't be an issue in the future for UT, who addressed that need by signing speedy pass-catchers Latrell Williams, Marquez Callaway and Corey Henderson. But Perry isn't a guy a whole lot of people are discussing.

They will be after this spring.

Darrell Taylor, Redshirt Freshman Defensive End

Credit: 247Sports

During his recruitment, then-4-star prospect Darrell Taylor surprised a whole lot of people in his home state of Virginia and in recruiting circles when he pledged to the Vols over teams such as Virginia and Virginia Tech.

So he's used to making a big splash.

The 6'4", 230-pound edge-rushing specialist may wind up doing the same thing again.

After Taylor took a season to get bigger and stronger in the weight room, many people may not remember just how elite his athleticism can be. He wasn't ready to play immediately, but that doesn't take anything away from his potential.

This spring will be the first time he gets an extended audition. With his wingspan, speed off the edge and versatility that can enable him to put a hand down or stand up from the second level, he could have defensive coordinator Bob Shoop drooling.

Much like Osborne's uphill battle for playing time in the secondary, Taylor doesn't face an easy road finding snaps at a defensive end position that boasts Barnett, Phillips, Corey Vereen, LaTroy Lewis, Dimarya Mixon, Andrew Butcher, Austin Smith and incoming top-ranked JUCO prospect Jonathan Kongbo.

But Taylor is the perfect situational weapon who can carve a niche this year. 

One of Shoop's strengths is putting players in the position to make plays in a multiple scheme that can give you tons of different looks. The Vols have the depth and talent all over the field to do that in '16, and Taylor is one of those players who could find himself going after quarterbacks in key moments.

This spring will decide whether that'll happen this year or if Taylor has to wait for Barnett, Lewis and Vereen to leave. Whether his time is now or in the future, he's got the chance to be a much-discussed player this spring.

A player with his ability will be tough to keep off the field.

All quotes and information gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information gathered from 247Sports unless otherwise noted. All stats gathered at UTSports.com unless otherwise noted.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee lead writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.